The Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division doesn t want Delta-8 THC to gain a foothold in dispensaries, and on May 14 notified marijuana business owners that modified or synthetic versions of THC derived from industrial hemp aren t allowed in this state s stores.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) comes in several different isomers: molecular compounds with the same number of atoms of certain elements but distinct arrangements of those atoms. The isomer that marijuana plants naturally produce in large amounts is Delta-9 THC, which is banned by the federal government. However, chemists have discovered other forms of THC that are chemically different yet carry similar intoxicating effects, like Delta-8 and Delta-10 THC.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture is seeking committee members to help steer the upcoming state Hemp Center of Excellence. Created by a 2018 bill, the CDA s Hemp Center of Excellence is intended to help direct U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved research, outreach and educational efforts in the state s hemp industry.
According to the CDA, the panel will assist the department and a third-party management contractor in the development of the organizational structure and a five-year strategic plan for the new Hemp Center. The bill establishing the Hemp Center also required that the CDA select a third party to manage the center s launch and early strategic planning. That committee ultimately chose MPG Consulting (formerly Marijuana Policy Group), which had been better known for policy work regarding state-legal marijuana than industrial hemp.